The Cobra ACXT145's main asset is its small size. It has below average range, so it is not well suited for activities where you will get separated a long distance from your partner. The Cobra has average battery life and sub-par ease of use. While it stood up to our testing, Cobra offers no specifications of water resistance. Compared to other options that are cheaper, this radio was the lowest scoring in our tests but could be a good option if small size and weight are paramount in your decision making.
Cobra ACXT145 Review
A tiny radio, but it lacks useful capabilities
Price: $50 List | $29.46 at Amazon
Pros: Tiny, lightweight
Cons: Poor range, hard to operate, poor battery life
Manufacturer: Cobra
Cons: Poor range, hard to operate, poor battery life
Manufacturer: Cobra
By Gray Grandy ⋅ Review Editor ⋅ Mar 26, 2020
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Our Verdict
Compare to Similar Products
Our Analysis and Test Results
At just 3.1 ounces and 5 inches tall including the antenna, the ACXT145 will barely be noticeable in your pocket. This small size comes at a price, as this radio is more expensive than some other options that had better range, battery life, and weather resistance.
Performance Comparison
The small display and minimal buttons of the ACXT145 can actually make a simple machine a little more complicated than necessary.
Range and Clarity
The ACXT145 was consistently one of the first radios to lose connection as we drove away in our range tests. In a straight line with minimal obstructions, it failed to transmit a call at 1 mile away. It also came up short in our hill test both in good weather and in poor weather. When the radio was in range, it had adequate voice quality and clarity.
Ease of Use
Much like the other radios that use few buttons and no knobs for adjustments, learning to do basic functions like change the volume or channel took some learning time on the Cobra ACXT145. Reading the instructions did make these adjustments clear, but it was not entirely intuitive on our first try.
When we had these radios out in poor weather, we found the buttons too small to reliably operate with gloved hands. Even with bare fingers, we found the PTT button to be small and harder to press than most, sometimes leaving us unsure if we were transmitting or not.When deciding where to carry the radio, you will want to find a place where it won't be pressing the buttons inadvertently. You are unlikely to change the channel accidentally due to the specific button presses necessary to make a real change, but the beeping with each button press could get old as the radio sit sat in our packs.
Weather Resistance and Durability
Cobra does not specify that this radio is rated for any sort of contact with water, so we did not submerge or soak it as we did to some others in the test that have a water-resistance rating. However, it did survive a few sprinkles and trips in a wet backpack. We don't expect it to survive much more than that due to its open Micro USB port and battery compartment without a seal. The casing of the radio feels adequately stout, and it doesn't have any small parts that look prone to breaking. The belt clip on the back is removable by bending a small plastic tab that could succumb to brute force. We were pleased to complete all of our testing and field use with no notable wear except a few minor scratches on this radio. If you do have problems, Cobra backs the radio with a one year warranty.
The ACXT145 fit nicely into our chalk bag or clipped to a harness. Its small size make it ideal for some climbing applications, although some of our testers have found its range lacking while alpine climbing, where a direct line of sight is not a guarantee.
Battery Life
A nice feature of the Cobra ACXT145 came in the charging options. It came with rechargeable AAA batteries, so you could use the Micro USB plug on the side to recharge, or just throw in another set of AAA batteries if recharging is not an option. In our battery test, a low battery symbol appeared on the screen 14 hours and 15 minutes into the test. Five minutes later, it made its last transmission and beeped a few times to indicate that it was dying. Over 14 hours was a respectable, middle of the road performance in our battery test, but we would have like to have gotten a little more warning that it was about to die.
We like the ability to charge the Cobra with a micro USB cord.
Weight and Size
This size of this radio is really where it shines. If you are very weight conscious when buying your gear, the Cobra should be on your list. It weighs only 3.1 ounces with batteries and is just about 5 inches tall. When testing, we would easily forget that we had it with us, and it would not feel like a brick pulling on our jacket pocket as some others did.
The tiny size of the Cobra allowed it to disappear into most pockets, like the hip pocket in this backpack. The small orange PTT button was sometimes hard to push with gloves.
Value
While this radio was very small and light, a minor increase in weight and size to some other options will save you a few dollars and get you a better performing radio. If you just want a small radio that is reasonably capable, there are options that are a better bang for your buck. However, if you want a tiny radio and don't need impressive performance or weather resistance, the ACXT145 could be a good option for you.
Conclusion
While the Cobra ACXT145 did not impress us in many of the tests, especially with its range, its small size makes it notable and a worthy buy for specific users.
— Gray Grandy